Attorney General Tom Horne Says New York City Investigators Overstepped Boundaries in Gun Show Probe

PHOENIX (Tuesday, February 1, 2011) -- Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne says New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg overstepped his authority by sending New York undercover officers to Arizona in an attempted “sting” operation at a Phoenix gun show.

“Local law enforcement and the Arizona Department of Public Safety were never notified that Mayor Bloomberg’s operation was being undertaken. That is standard professional courtesy and is also designed to protect the general public,” Horne said. “Arizona law enforcement should have been made aware that people posing as criminal elements were in fact undercover officers. The fact that no such notification was made indicates this so-called sting is nothing less than a public relations stunt.”

Horne added, “I would suggest that Mayor Bloomberg consider the skyrocketing crime rate in New York City before he asks any more of his city’s police to leave town on these p.r. missions. According to the most recent FBI statistics, violent crime in New York City increased significantly in 2010 compared to data from 2009. Robbery went up 3.9 percent, forcible rape rose 13.9 percent, aggravated assault increased 8.8 percent and murder rose 12.3 percent. Clearly, the good men and women of the New York City Police Department have more pressing crimes to investigate than alleged violations at a gun show 2,400 miles away.”